Some years back I gave serious consideration to this, but never had enough money. I am now giving it serious consideration again, but will need five years to get fit enough, the money etc.

Anyhow a question to those in the know:

Having lumbar spinal stenosis my doctor tells me not to run, but I can walk fast. What is the slowest speed you need to be able to maintain to keep ahead of the camels? I think that it used to be a couple of miles per hour but I don't remember and don't see it on the uk website. ( I do realise this is over sand and rock in 50degrees).
_________________Vote Stewart for Secretary General of the UN
Good Judgement Project Brier Score 0.142 (median 0.367) https://www.gjopen.com/
Read: Our Place in the Twenty First Century

Some years back I gave serious consideration to this, but never had enough money. I am now giving it serious consideration again, but will need five years to get fit enough, the money etc.

Anyhow a question to those in the know:

Having lumbar spinal stenosis my doctor tells me not to run, but I can walk fast. What is the slowest speed you need to be able to maintain to keep ahead of the camels? I think that it used to be a couple of miles per hour but I don't remember and don't see it on the uk website. ( I do realise this is over sand and rock in 50degrees).

couldn't give you an exact speed. Did it on 2013 and speed hiked pretty much the whole of the long stage with loads and loads of time spare. Randolph Fiennes walked the whole thing i think - if you can find a documentary on him doing it will give you a good idea?
_________________Transgrancanaria, Hardmoors 55, Thames Path 100, Apocalypse 50, Manchester Half, Lakeland Trails 110km, UTMB, Escape from Meriden

Some years back I gave serious consideration to this, but never had enough money. I am now giving it serious consideration again, but will need five years to get fit enough, the money etc.

Anyhow a question to those in the know:

Having lumbar spinal stenosis my doctor tells me not to run, but I can walk fast. What is the slowest speed you need to be able to maintain to keep ahead of the camels? I think that it used to be a couple of miles per hour but I don't remember and don't see it on the uk website. ( I do realise this is over sand and rock in 50degrees).

couldn't give you an exact speed. Did it on 2013 and speed hiked pretty much the whole of the long stage with loads and loads of time spare. Randolph Fiennes walked the whole thing i think - if you can find a documentary on him doing it will give you a good idea?

thank you tunster I will go looksie.

It's just one of those bucket list items that I just have to do. Wife thinks I am crazy.
_________________Vote Stewart for Secretary General of the UN
Good Judgement Project Brier Score 0.142 (median 0.367) https://www.gjopen.com/
Read: Our Place in the Twenty First Century

Think I have it from the race regs, marathon stage 12 hours, so 27 min per mile.
_________________Vote Stewart for Secretary General of the UN
Good Judgement Project Brier Score 0.142 (median 0.367) https://www.gjopen.com/
Read: Our Place in the Twenty First Century

whenever I see people thinking to do MDS i always think why not do Kalahari extreme? Same distance, hotter , tougher, cheaper, no waiting list, looks pleasant!
Im not affiliated btw!
http://www.kaem.co.za/

whenever I see people thinking to do MDS i always think why not do Kalahari extreme? Same distance, hotter , tougher, cheaper, no waiting list, looks pleasant!
Im not affiliated btw!
http://www.kaem.co.za/

Why does anyone want to do anything? For me it's the Sahara, and I feel comfortable with what I know about it. It's a specific challenge that appeals.

In much the same wAy that I would love to visit Antarctica but the arctic does zilch for me. Why? Who knows? Just is.
_________________Vote Stewart for Secretary General of the UN
Good Judgement Project Brier Score 0.142 (median 0.367) https://www.gjopen.com/
Read: Our Place in the Twenty First Century

I did it this year. The thing that seemed to catch out a lot of the non-finishers was not that they needed to keep up too high a speed but they struggled with navigation towards the back of the field as there wasn't anyone to follow.

you could walk pretty much the whole way around at 15-16 min/miling and still comfortably finish. The camels are really slow, i wouldn't worry about them, just the snakes, scorpions and camel spiders need a bit of respect Its a great race, lots of camaraderie and right giggle.

I will admit I have wondered about Sod's law and trampling on a snake that is having a bad day. Well it would be having a bad day at that stage, quickly followed by me probably.

All part of the fun.
_________________Vote Stewart for Secretary General of the UN
Good Judgement Project Brier Score 0.142 (median 0.367) https://www.gjopen.com/
Read: Our Place in the Twenty First Century

To me, the MDS is always one of those events that it would be great to say that I'd done, but I'm not sure that I'd particularly "enjoy" it at the time _________________2016: Just riding my bike....
Hot Chillee ride captain (sponsored by WattBike, Cervelo, Mavic, Lazer, Continental, Le Marq, Garmin, Sportique, Pro-Cycle Insurance, Maserati)

Funnily enough for me the fun isn't related to the event itself, that is merely incidental, hence whether I finished or not is academic.

What matters to me is :-

1. Being somewhere my heart has taken me.
2. Facing my fears.
3. Overcoming the odds just to get myself fit and healthy enough to safely be there.
4. Gaining the experience.
5. Learning to know myself a little bit better.
_________________Vote Stewart for Secretary General of the UN
Good Judgement Project Brier Score 0.142 (median 0.367) https://www.gjopen.com/
Read: Our Place in the Twenty First Century

You don't have to go to Africa to get bitten by a snake, in the 2015 OMM in Dumfries and Galloway I got bitten by a Adder, I ended up DNF and in Dumfries DGRI with loads of needles in me, it is the only MM I have DNFed at.

whenever I see people thinking to do MDS i always think why not do Kalahari extreme? Same distance, hotter , tougher, cheaper, no waiting list, looks pleasant!
Im not affiliated btw!
http://www.kaem.co.za/

Thanks for this. Myself and a mate (Bluepoolshark) are now looking at 2018 based on your post _________________BLOG now updating again!In a world where I feel so small, I can't stop thinking big...